Morocco’s Government Council approved an amendment to the country’s free trade agreement with Turkey in October 2020, opening the way for customs duties to return on a long list of Turkish industrial goods. Textiles and clothing were the main target.
The amendment, adopted as Bill No. 54.20, had been signed by the two governments in Rabat on 24 August 2020. It entered into force on 24 April 2022, according to Türkiye Ministry of Trade.
What the Amendment Changed
Under the original agreement, which was signed in 2004 and took effect in 2006, most industrial goods traded between the two countries had become duty-free by 2015. The amendment allows Morocco to charge duties again on selected Turkish products for five years, at 90% of the rate it applies to imports from most other countries.
To take the example used in Moroccan press coverage at the time, a listed product with a standard duty of 40% would be charged 36% if imported from Turkey. The actual rate depends on the product’s tariff line. According to Médias24, the list covers more than 1,200 products across 630 tariff lines, mainly in textiles and clothing, leather, automotive parts, metal products, wood and electrical goods. The arrangement can be renewed for a further five years, and the product list is reviewed every year.
Morocco–Turkey FTA Amendment: Key Terms
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Signed | 24 August 2020 |
| Approved by Morocco’s Government Council | October 2020 (Bill No. 54.20) |
| Entered into force | 24 April 2022 |
| Duty level | 90% of Morocco’s standard (most-favoured-nation) rate |
| Duration | 5 years, renewable for a further 5 |
| Products covered | More than 1,200 products across 630 tariff lines |
| Main sectors | Textiles and clothing, leather, automotive, metal products, wood and electrical goods |
Why Morocco Sought the Change
The agreement had long been controversial in Morocco, which has run a trade deficit with Turkey for most of the period since 2006. In early 2020 the two sides came close to suspending the deal altogether.
Then industry minister Moulay Hafid Elalamy said at the time that Morocco was losing around $2 billion a year under the agreement, and that competition from Turkish textiles had cost the country 44,000 jobs in 2017, as reported by Morocco World News. Before the amendment was signed, the amended 2020 finance law had already raised the duty on Turkish textile and clothing imports to 36%, from 27%.
What Has Happened Since
The amendment did not settle the issue. In 2025 Morocco and Turkey reopened talks on how the agreement works in practice, with Rabat pressing for a better trade balance and more Moroccan exports. See our report on the 2025 review and Morocco’s textile deficit with Turkey.
For the full timeline of the agreement and Morocco’s other trade arrangements, see our Morocco textile trade hub.
